Steve

I am a qualified teacher and SEN/ ASD specialist with QTS, with extensive experience teaching in SEN schools. Experience providing 1:1 support, teaching functional skills, teaching grammar, phonics and reading, ASDAN, social communication and independence to students with autism, mental health needs and anxiety, working and short-term memory needs, focus and concentration challenges, ADD/ADHD, global delay, dyslexia and visual impairment. I have a National Qualification in Middle Leadership for schools which I obtained in an OFSTED Outstanding SEN school via UCL.

I provide motivational, creative and engaging 1:1 support sessions, lessons in Maths (numeracy), English (literacy), ICT, Food Tech, art, science and more.  I am passionate about empowering children and young people and embedding functional learning throughout our work together.

My experience developing trusting relationships with students with SEN and additional needs: I have several years experience working in SEN schools working with a broad range of students outside of mainstream education. I have guided many pupils through a nourishing Post 16 Sixth Form and helped them transition to settings beyond. I have developed trusting relationships through a kind, honest and consistent approach. I take the time to listen and learn how the world works for an individual and constantly reflect and adapt my practice accordingly.  

My experience supporting students aged 16+ with additional and complex needs: My specialism is working with young people with ASD which over the years has included a very wide range of social communication needs, emotional regulation abilities and a range of associated needs and disabilities.  Every role and every individual is a new challenge and I am always learning.  In Post-16, as well as having my own class, I led a team of teachers to ensure high quality teaching throughout the key stage as well as a small group of job coaches supporting with work experience.  I continue to work with a broad range of students: earlier this year I worked with class of additional needs students this year including some with visual impairment and I have recently started a SENCo role in a Steiner school in Islington.    

My experience working with students who are non-verbal and those with speech and language needs: I have worked with many individuals who are non-verbal and minimally verbal.  The approach that I use is centred around that individuals communication profile and needs.  I have training in PECS, use of AAC Core Boards and PECS app on iPad.  I have worked with many Speech and Language Therapists and specialists over the years and learnt to adapt my approach to the young people I am working with.  I have a solid understanding of Boadrdmaker and Widgit visual systems to structure and support communication. 

My experience teaching English (including reading, writing, spelling): I was very lucky to train with LETTA as Primary Qualified Teacher whilst working in an Ofsted Outstanding SEN school.  This has given me a solid foundation in literacy teaching with phonics training from Ann Smalberger, grammar with Lindsey Pickton as well as Pie Corbett.  I am proficient in using Read Write Inc Schemes of Learning and I am currently training in using the Sounds-Write approach to phonics.  I have written Post-16 Schemes of Work Curriculum for two schools and have adapted literacy foundations to the functional skills required for teenagers with SEN and disabilities.  

My experience teaching Maths: I love maths and aim to inspire children and young people to be won maths too. This includes the beauty of mathematical patterns to the real world day-to-day functionality of numeracy skills.  I am trained in maths mastery and I have taught it in 1:1 tutoring and the classroom environment from P-level to years 5 and 6 National Curriculum.  Like all aspects of learning identifying gaps and what works is at the core of such teaching.  I love to experiment with alternative ways of visualising mathematical tasks and offering methods that can reduce the cognitive load required.  

My experience supporting students to transition to new schools and environments: It has been honour to welcome so many students into the sixth form I was working in and to bid them farewell.  This always required a lot of transition work to prepare the individual for a new environment and to work with them and their family to find a suitable FE placement or new setting afterwards.  I have also worked in a quickly expanding schools and supported students moving sites and ensuring any problems arising are quickly remedied. Honest dialogue about what is needed and what’s possible is essential matched with plenty of social stories and visits in person.  High quality conversations and accurate paperwork with colleagues from different disciplines is equally as important to ensure things go smoothly.

My experience teaching functional skills and life-skills: Life Skills have been the centre of my teaching practice over the years and a passion of mine.  I have trained in Systematic Instruction and worked with students of all levels in life skills.  I have written Schemes of Work for Life Skills and I am developing an app that supports skills acquisition through the use of video.  I have taken part in smiLE Therapy training and adapted such checklist training to work with a range of students in domestic life skills, social skills, community access and work based skills.  I have experience getting students through ASDAN and WJEC accreditation schemes.   

My experience boosting confidence and self-esteem: This has been a central aspect with nearly all pupils I have worked with.  I focus on identifying emotions and a caring environment for pupils to communicate their feelings.  Developing trust and rapport as the sessions progress and establishing simple targets together, always praising effort over ability, making sessions invigorating and fun and gently building up to more challenging application when appropriate. Equally offering some choice in the academic level to garner an attitude to learning where the child wants to challenge themselves and flex their ability a bit more.  I am a proponent of directly teaching the Growth Mindset and identifying strategies that can be adopted by the child or young person.

My experience providing fun sessions to help students engage in learning: Learning and life need to be fun.  I will always gauge the level of energy appropriate for a pupil so that it fits their needs on the day but generally speaking I love to make learning activities practical, useful and relevant to their likes and interests.  Our best learning is achieved during rich sensory experiences and so I use a range of multi sensory approaches to support practice and new content. 

My skills and experience supporting children to develop their independence: Alongside transition work I have supported many young people grow their independence.  This starts with a discussion about what an individual needs and setting some achievable and aspirational targets.  Achieving these requires structured practice and intentional fading support.  I have training in Systematic Instruction and smiLE therapy which are useful systems in supporting young people gain more independence.  I have worked on basic classroom skills right up to travel training in preparation for the working world.  Close attention, fading support and a real sense of success are at the heart of developing independence. 

My skills and experience working on a 1:1 basis with young people with autism: I have a strong understanding of ASD and several years experience working with children and young people from the autistic community.  This includes close work in the school setting, more recently 1:1 tutoring in the home and many years as a class teacher in Ofsted Outstanding schools. I have led training on autism as a Phase Lead and continue to support teachers in best practice.